"World Porridge Champion Shares Winning Secrets"

In 2020, while on a camping trip with a friend from Sweden, we drove through Carrbridge—a village in the Scottish Highlands, roughly two hours from my home in Aberdeenshire. A sign caught our attention: "Welcome to the Home of the World Porridge Championship."

It vaguely reminded me of seeing the competition on the news as a child. When my friend looked it up, he discovered that recent winners had been from Sweden. Teasingly, he said, "We make better porridge than you." I thought, "We'll see about that." Two years later, I decided to compete.

I work as an app developer but enjoy cooking in my free time. I taught myself after a severe case of food poisoning in my mid-20s left me wary of others' cooking. In 2020, I even started a YouTube channel documenting meals I prepare on camping trips. Still, I had no idea what to expect from the competition.

The event began in 1996 to highlight Carrbridge and promote porridge as a nutritious meal. Contestants come from around the world—India to Australia—and participants are chosen by random selection, as only 30 spots are available. The entire event is organized by local volunteers, who take great pride in their work, dedicating most of the year to preparations. It's a warm and inclusive gathering.

The contest has two parts. The first is a "traditional porridge" round, where only three ingredients are allowed: water, oats, and salt. The second is a specialty round, permitting any recipe containing oats. Both dishes must be prepared simultaneously on a camping stove within 30 minutes.

There are five preliminary rounds, each with six contestants, followed by a final featuring the top six. Judges assess taste, texture, colour, and seasoning but offer no feedback, making their preferences difficult to predict.

The first time I competed, I didn’t advance past the heats. I realized that with more effort, I might do better. So, I experimented with various oat blends and salts. In 2023, I reached the finals.

By then, I was fully invested. Before last year’s competition, I researched the science behind porridge. Oats are 60% starch, which begins gelatinizing between 60°C and 92°C, absorbing the most water. Beyond 92°C, they can burst, creating a gluey texture. I used a thermometer to keep my porridge below that threshold—likely a first for the competition. I also chose Himalayan pink salt for its subtle sweetness.

To my surprise, I won. Adam, the previous year’s champion, was the first to congratulate me.